The Messmore Messenger
October 2024
Dear Parents,
Safety remains a priority for our school. Messmore is once again providing training to our students on our safety protocols. The protocols identify actions that students may be asked to take in the event of a potential incident: hold, secure, lockdown, evacuate, and shelter.
The training is provided through a short, animated video. In the video, the teacher—Mrs. Appleton—and her students walk through the different responses in a very relaxed and engaging way for younger children. Our UCS staff wrote the script.
The protocols will continue to be part of the training while practicing our regular school safety drills, such as fire drills, security drills, tornado drills, evacuation procedures, etc.
The video is available for you to review at this link: UCS School Safety: Standard Response Protocol - Elementary - YouTube If you have any questions, please contact our office.
All students will be viewing the video on Monday, 10/7, and and we will be practicing an option based drill on Tuesday, 10/8.
Parent and Student Handbook
Reviewing the UCS Parent-Student Handbook with your child each year is required. Parents were asked to acknowledge that they have read and reviewed the Parent-Student Handbook with their child. If you have not yet read and reviewed the handbook please do so and acknowledge that it was completed in PowerSchool. To acknowledge completion, login to PowerSchool, go to FORMS, and click REQUIRED TO COMPLETE EACH YEAR.
The handbook offers important information on several key topics, including:
- Our multi-layered approach to safety and success
- Student health and wellness resources
- Technology use guidelines
- Attendance policies
- Student Code of Conduct
Staying informed helps ensure a positive and productive school year for everyone. The Parent and Student Handbook is attached below.
Halloween
Halloween is just around the corner, and we know that children enjoy the opportunity to dress up and participate in special activities. On Thursday, October 31, 2024, students may wear costumes to school. On that date, we will celebrate with classroom activities that are seasonally related and suitable for a classroom environment, followed by a school-wide outdoor parade that will begin at 10:30 (weather permitting). Preschool students will not be in the parade. Parents are welcome to stand outside as students parade outside around the perimeter of the school building. Our classrooms are nut-free, so we ask students not to bring candy or food.
We are again requesting children choose to dress in costumes keeping positive role models in mind. A suggestion might be book or movie characters and animals. All of us at Messmore are working diligently to teach our students how to solve problems in a non-violent way. We do not want to see our students as perpetrators or victims of violence.
Thank you for your support and cooperation.
Below are important calendar dates:
October
9- MMA meeting at 6:00 p.m.
11- Deadline to order Pumpkins
16- No School for all Students
18- Pumpkin Pickup
25- Trunk and Treat MMA Social
31- Half Day of School 11:29 Dismissal, AM Preschool Only
November
1- Half Day of School 11:29 Dismissal, PM Preschool Only in the Morning, End of Card Marking
5- No School Election Day
7- Afternoon and Evening Parent Teacher Conferences, Chuck E. Cheese Night
12- Evening Parent Teacher Conferences
13- Picture Retake Day, MMA Meeting at 6:00 p.m.
27 - 29 Thanksgiving Break
Warm regards,
Renee Fiema, Ed.D.
